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"The face of the operation is Briatore (referred to exclusively in the film by his colleagues and angry, chanting detractors as "Flavio"), an anthropomorphic radish who spends most of his time at QPR plotting to fire all of the managers."

At press time, Harbaugh had sent Michigan’s athletic department an envelope containing a heavily annotated seating chart, a list of the 63,000 seat views he had found unsatisfactory, and a glowing 70-page report on section 25, row 12, seat 9, which he claimed is “exactly what the great sport of football is all about.”

Calling Out the Defenders of Rodriguez

Well, I saw so much anger and frustration come out with Barking Sphincter Blog I that I decided to stay on topic and continue in my vein of axing just why the hell so many people think Rodriguez should be given so many free passes. But I’m not going to concentrate on Rodriguez here—I’m going to call out the Defenders of the Rod with this one.
The angst UM fans are feeling is polluting the intranets. The Defenders of the Rod (TDoR) come out enforce to rail at anyone who questions not just Rodriguez, but the state of UM football and recruiting. A guy on a premium pay site axes something like, “Hey, who we gonna go after on defense? A lot of highly-ranked defensive recruits are off the board.” WHAMMO. Within minutes this post is swarmed upon as if it was dollar-days at a downriver Wal Mart and Cheeze Whiz was on special. The guy is called a “Chicken Little” a “Debbie Downer” a “Closet Sparty” or is barraged with sarcastic bullshit like, “Hey you’re right. Maybe Michigan should just give up football.” All that ridiculousness aside, the worst part is when the TDoR start justifying 3-9 and why it happened.
I guess the worst record in the history of the program will do that to an emotionally fragile fan base whose identity is based in no small part on the successes and failures of the Wolverines. But it does beg the question: How does a legitimate query about THIS year’s recruiting turn into a self-pitying justification party about the PREVIOUS season? If the TDoR want to put 3-9 behind them, or tell others to do so, why are they always the first ones to bring it up? Take a look at my first blog. I had the vultures all over that post screaming like little girls at a Jonas Brothers concert, and about all they could spit out was “3-9! 3-9! Cupboard bare! Lloyd Bad Man leave no players!” Well, if 3-9 hurts recruiting so badly, how’s come Rich Rod landed some pretty good talent as the season wore on, and did so even after it ended? The dude blew a 40-year streak of non-losing seasons, crashed and burned a 33-year bowl streak, and really good players still signed on.
But THIS year, it’s different. Even after bringing a big time defensive coordinator on board in Greg Robinson. THIS year, 3-9 matters. Gone are the cries of “Yowza! 3-9 and we can still have a top 10 class? We are the ballz!” Gone are the cries of “THIS is gonna be the big year of turnaround! 2009—smokin, baby!” Those rallying shouts have been replaced by “I’m thinking that by 2011 we should be really good.” Bravado moving forward has been replaced by backpedalling and reminding everyone that our poor, young new coach was saddled by horrible players out to get him, Lloyd Carr lurking in the shadows with his non-support or super-secret coven of anti-Rodriguez co-conspirators, and a Michigan Media throwing its full support behind the bible-thumping Prophet of Lansing, Mark Dantonio.
And with all that back pedaling comes the revealing of a very confidence-challenged fan base worried about Michigan falling off the map as so many other Big Timers have. The UM fan base, which never saw a precipitous fall as even remotely possible before 3-9, reels from it and vehemently pounces on anyone who dares question whether Rich Rodriguez can get things back in order. Gone is civil discourse. Gone is acceptance, and discussion with those of differing opinions. These so-called fans, who claim to support a great university known for tolerance and open-mindedness are in stark, dark contrast to the image of Michigan. Many claim to be graduates of the school; to that I say “Bullshit.” Neither their writing, their use of the English language, nor their ignorant closed-mindedness and lack of intelligent conversation speaks to being a graduate of such a great institution of higher learning.
And this is no more proudly on display than when a recruit backs out on a commitment to UM or elects to go elsewhere if the fan base feels they were somehow “led on” by a recruit. Oh, that kid is in for some serious bashing. I remember the backlash against last year’s batch of decommits. Kevin Newsome, Shavodrick Beaver, and all the rest were creamed, called liars, their integrity was challenged, their families were insulted, and all because they simply changed their minds. Often, if not every time, the UM coaching staff had cooled on the kid and the decommit was more of a suggestion to him rather than the recruit just flipping. But no matter; these decommitments evoked a reaction that can not be described as anything but visceral. And all without ANY knowledge of the situation or the recruit in question. The really sad part was that type of reaction came from the majority, not the crazy marginalized sector, as is usually the case with this type of Mob Rule.
So it stands to reason that we now see these angry protestations against those who are, very legitimately, wondering about the status of this once-proud program. I say again: Michigan State is winning a cultural war with UM in the state of Michigan. MSU has “perception” on its side in a big way. Acknowledge it and fight it, or lose 40 years of goodwill and dominance in your own back yard. But again, to accept the challenge offered by Mr. Michigan is Greener means a wave of Maize Ragers raining down on you with the kind of contempt usually reserved for baby seal clubbers or soccer moms.
How long will this go on? Is it true that winning will cure everything? It remains to be seen if Rodriguez will build a winner—how much time does he have? and it remains to be seen—if he has time and does it—whether the “I told you so” crowd will welcome back their fellow UM supporters who, pretty much objectively, have done nothing more than voice warranted concerns.
Have a great weekend people! GO BLUE!

Who should the Redwings going to sign in free agency? A lot of the potential free agents we could sign on the cheap are coming off the board, and the cap isn't getting any higher. If you were Holland, would you try and land a defender or forward right now, or save a bit of cap space for the deadline? Would you match an offer sheet of 2.5 million per to Hudler if it comes? what about 3 million? Would that change if it was from a team in another conference? What do you make of the increasing talent within the division for next year and beyond? Do you think Howard can be the goalie of the future, or will we be grasping at straws once Osgood hangs 'em up?

Do you want RR to do well? It sorta seems like you are praying for his demise. Look, here is my take. Coaching...Coaching...Coaching. If RR accepts a kids verbal than it is job to coach the 3 stars up and make the 4 and 5 stars live up to their potential. I sorta find it ironic how you are knocking people for saying give the guy a chance simply because you don't want to. Not one kid from this recruiting class has laced them up for M yet so that sorta makes this like forecasting the weather. And in that case everyone has an opinion so don't get mad when someone takes the opposite position as yourself. It is life.

If you have to ask twice it means that you didn't get it the first time.

Good question. Ultimately, yes, yes I do: he is the coach of My Michigan Wolverines. So far, though, he hasn't done shit.

Do I think he will succeed? Given time, it is possible. But I don't see it. He has been a complete PR disastah, and Bill Martin is a fucking shlub who didn't know how to hire a coach or have a plan in place.

You will remember that Rodriguez was behind Door #3, right? That means he was a back up--and not even a back up plan. Martin didn't set out to change Michigan culture with this hire: Mary Sue dragged him to Toledo to interview Rodriguez because UM was being turned down by others, including another Big East coach.

I am beginning to see it's not a cultural fit. Rodriguez appears dirty, shifty, and without a recruiting stategery or a coaching ability that transcends being a transition coach who can work with what was left to him and motivate them.

Yeah, and Jim Tressel wasn't our 1st choice either...That doesn't mean if he suddenly became available he would have been some 3rd choice guy either

"appears dirty"

wtf are you talking about? Is he cheating? Is it because of the shredding of already existing papers? Is it because of the $4 million buyout that the University wanted to fight for?

"without a recruiting stategery"

Explain what the fuck you're talking about. Oline strategy: nimble, quick lineman. Quaterbacks strategy: Someone mobile who can run options. Other strategy: Acquire slot players...wtf exactly are you talking about? It's not like he's taking players for the sake of taking players.

"without a recruiting stategery or a coaching ability that transcends being a transition coach who can work with what was left to him"

Do you think Vince Lombardi himself would have won games with Nick Sheridan playing QB? Or to take a spread coach. If you gave Urban Meyer the EXACT roster Michigan worked with last year, what do you think he would have done?

off d you mean "calling him a few times and he didn't respond." I'm pretty sure I remember reading that Rich Rod tried to keep Mallet and that he didn't listen. By all accounts, nobody on the team liked him and that there was a good chance he was leaving the team regardless of who the coach was.

You really think Urban Meyer wins 7 games with a bad offensive line, Sherithreet at QB, and a suspect back 7 on defense?

You will remember that Rodriguez was behind Door #3, right? That means he was a back up--and not even a back up plan. Martin didn't set out to change Michigan culture with this hire: Mary Sue dragged him to Toledo to interview Rodriguez because UM was being turned down by others, including another Big East coach.

I am beginning to see it's not a cultural fit. Rodriguez appears dirty, shifty, and without a recruiting stategery or a coaching ability that transcends being a transition coach who can work with what was left to him and motivate them.

How do you know any of the first paragraph? It's gossip that rattles inside the internet blogosphere, perpetuated by horse-shit illiterate "insiders" like Erocwolverine. It's unverified horseshit.

The second paragraph is your opinion, and you're entitled to it. But there's no evidence of him being dirty or shifty. Why do you think his recruiting was top notch last year, but struggling now? He stopped trying?

Are you really "calling out" a type of fan for being too emotional and then filing your post with heated and unsupported comments about Rich Rod the "cultural tides" and where you BELIEVE people went to school? It seems too ironic to be done on purpose.

Or, are you trying to raise emotions and subsequently interest in your fledgling blog?

I wasn't aware that you KNEW exactly how many wins we were going to get. Can I please have the lottery numbers now? Here's a serious question...Do you like being miserable? If being a Michigan fan sucks so bad for you, why don't you just go buy a USC jersey and start watching them and the Yankees and Lakers every night. Holy hell, you got kicking out of WLA for being a fucking retard. That's what I'm being told. REPEAT...YOUR STUFF IS TOO DUMB FOR WLA TO POST...just stop before you humiliat yourself even further. This is the worst poster since McFarlin and CravenMorehead.

You are Valenti in disguise. In fact, I would rather watch the "GO-Pher" ball game on "I survived a Japanese Game Show" and try to interpret what "Judge Bob" is saying than to waste my time posting counters to your idiotic rant.

Also.... you have a false sense of self importance. I have a notion that you are not that important at all.......

of ....." I write the truth, so deal with it" smells very much like.... " I am right, you are wrong, therefore, your position is not valid".

Re-read your post and follow up responses. There is a reason why Valenti is often described as going on a "psychotic rant" when discussing anything Michigan. He absolutely cannot be objective.... and places a vitriolic spin on everything... to the point that the "sensationalism" that he is looking to initiate fades as people have caught on to his "schtick".

There IS a reason Valenti is described as "going on a psychotic rant"--it's Michigan fans like yourself who keep clicking your red heels together and hoping that Ridriguez, despite much contrary evidence, is Prince Charming.

I didn't realize that one season (one where, AGAIN, you ignored the details of) is enough to call "much evidence" when compared to his ENTIRE FUCKING CAREER UP TO THIS POINT. Are you really this stupid? This has to be an act right? It's not like we have some unproven coach. He's done it every place he's been.

OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THOSE STUPID MICHIGAN FANS THINK A COACH FROM THE SUCKY BIG EAST CAN COME TO THE UNSTOPABLE BIG TEN! LULZ AT YOU ALL. DANTONIO OWNS US!!

This is not quiet. This is just desperation. The concept of society living in an unspoken state of yearning and desperation is tragic and heartbreaking. But you've found a mouthpiece and it loses the dignity of tragedy. It is ugly.